1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a movable roof apparatus for vehicles wherein an aperture formed on a fixed roof of the vehicle is closed by a movable roof fitted therein in accordance with a driving mechanism operatively connected with the movable roof and more particularly to an improvement of the driving mechanism thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional movable roof apparatus for vehicles includes a movable roof movably disposed on the fixed roof of the vehicle and a driving mechanism for moving the movable roof between an open and closed positions in an aperture formed on the roof of the vehicle.
The movable roof is fitted into the aperture at the closed position so that when the aperture is closed, the movable roof is in the same plane with the roof and does not project from the roof. Therefore, the driving mechanism has a cam mechanism operatively connected with the movable roof. As the movable roof is lifted upwardly or pulled downwardly through the cam mechanism of the driving mechanism, the movable roof is engaged with or disengaged from the aperture for closing or opening the aperture. Further, a weather strip made of a resilient material is provided along a rim portion of the movable roof. As the weather strip resiliently abuts against a rim portion of the aperture at the closed position, the movable roof is liquid-tightly positioned in the aperture.
However, under the free state, the size of the weather strip is a little larger than that of the aperture. Thus, when the movable roof is lifted upwardly or pulled downwardly toward the aperture for positioning the movable roof at the closed position, the end portion of the weather strip frictionally abuts against a lower or an upper surface of the roof around the aperture. As the lifting movement of the movable roof is disturbed by this abutment, the movable roof is not perfectly fitted in the aperture. This results in the movable roof being projected from the roof even at the closed position by riding over the deformed weather strip. Thus, as a stepped portion exists between the roof and the movable roof, the appearance of the roof will be detracted from by the stepped portion on the roof and the liquid-tightness or air-tightness of the weather strip will not be sufficient to prevent water leakage.